Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com
Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic And The Best of NYMon, 19 Mar 2018 12:58:15 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/http://1.gravatar.com/blavatar/50e3ae7b1a37ec6f5f022661f15b5473?s=96&d=http%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.pngTony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com
Top 5 Performances From The 2017 Tony Awardshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/12/top-5-performances-from-the-2017-tony-awards/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/12/top-5-performances-from-the-2017-tony-awards/#respondMon, 12 Jun 2017 04:56:17 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1391648The 2017 Tony Awards featured multiple eye-popping performances from some of the biggest stars on Broadway. But which performances stood a step above the rest? See below for the five best performances from the 2017 Tony Awards. Photo redit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions Ben Platt Ben Platt took to the Tony Awards […]]]>
The 2017 Tony Awards featured multiple eye-popping performances from some of the biggest stars on Broadway. But which performances stood a step above the rest? See below for the five best performances from the 2017 Tony Awards.

Photo redit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

Ben Platt

Ben Platt took to the Tony Awards stage to represent the critically acclaimed, Dear Evan Hansen. Platt, playing the role of Evan Hansen, performed “Waving Through A Window,” to thunderous applause from the Radio City Music Hall audience.

Photo Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey pulled double duty as host and performer at the 71st annual Tony Awards. In the show’s opening monologue Spacey tried his hand Tony nominated shows Natasha Pierre And The Great Comet Of 1812 and Dear Evan Hansen.

Photo Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

David Hyde Pierce

David Hyde Pierce was seated right up by the stage for most of the night, but he also spent a fair amount of time ON it. The 2017 Tony Award nominee slipped into his Hello, Dolly! altar ego, Horace Vandergelder, to perform “Penny In My Pocket.”

Photo Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

Eva Noblezada

Eva Noblezada delivered a powerful performance as she took on her role of Kim from Miss Saigon. Performing the song, “I’d Give My Life For You,” Noblezada was joined on stage by Alistair Brammer who plays the role of her son, Chris.

Photo Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

The Cast Of Come From Away

The cast of Come From Away came together on stage to sing “Welcome To The Rock.” The performance effectively transported the audience to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, where 38 planes and their 6,500 passengers were redirected after the terrible attacks of September 11th.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/12/top-5-performances-from-the-2017-tony-awards/feed/02017 Tony Awards Winners Listhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/11/2017-tony-awards-winners-list/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/11/2017-tony-awards-winners-list/#respondMon, 12 Jun 2017 03:58:19 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1391631The 2017 Tony Awards have come and gone, performances were sung, hardware was handed out. See below for a full list of winners from this year’s awards. Best Play: Oslo, Winner Indecent Sweat A Doll’s House, Part 2 Best Musical: Come From Away Groundhog Day The Musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 […]]]>

The 2017 Tony Awards have come and gone, performances were sung, hardware was handed out. See below for a full list of winners from this year’s awards.

Best Play:Oslo, Winner
Indecent
Sweat
A Doll’s House, Part 2

Best Musical:Come From Away
Groundhog Day The Musical
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812Dear Evan Hansen, Winner

Best Book Of A Musical:Dave MalloySteven Levenson, Winner
Irene Sankoff And David Hein
Danny Rubin

Best Original Score:Irene Sankoff and David HeinBenj Pasek and Justin Paul, Winners
Dave Malloy
Tim Minchin

Best Revival Of A Play:August Wilson’s Jitney, Winner
Present Laughter
Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes
Six Degrees of Separation

Best Revival Of A Musical:Hello, Dolly!, Winner
Falsettos
Miss Saigon

Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role In A Play:Denis ArndtKevin Kline, Winner
Chris Cooper
Jefferson Mays
Corey Hawkins

Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Play:Sally Field
Cate Blanchett
Jennifer EhleLaurie Metcalf, Winner
Laura Linney

Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role In A Musical:Ben Platt, Winner
Christian Borle
Josh Groban
David Hyde Pierce
Andy Karl

Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Musical:Bette Midler, Winner
Denee Benton
Patti LuPone
Eva Noblezada
Christine Ebersole

Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role In A Play:Richard ThomasMichael Aronov, Winner
Danny DeVito
John Douglas Thompson
Nathan Lane

Best Performance By An Actress In A Featured Role In A Play:Jayne Houdyshell
Johanna Day
Condola Rashad
Michelle WilsonCynthia Nixon, Winner

Best Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role In A Musical:Gavin Creel, Winner
Lucas Steele
Mike Faist
Andrew Rannells
Brandon Uranowitz

Best Performance By An Actress In A Featured Role In A Musical:Mary Beth Peil
Kate Baldwin
Jenn ColellaRachel Bay Jones, Winner
Stephanie J. Block

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/11/2017-tony-awards-winners-list/feed/0‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Takes Home Best Musical At 71st Annual Tony Awardshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/11/71st-annual-tony-awards-nominees/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/11/71st-annual-tony-awards-nominees/#respondMon, 12 Jun 2017 03:28:02 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1391477"Dear Evan Hansen," the touching, heartfelt musical about young outsiders, became very popular as the Tony Awards reached its midpoint on Sunday, winning statuettes for best book, score, orchestrations and best featured actress.]]>

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — “Dear Evan Hansen,” the touching, heartfelt musical about young outsiders, has won the biggest theater popularity contest — winning the best new musical trophy at the Tony Awards along with five other statuettes, including best score, book and top actor honors for Ben Platt.

The show came into the night as the second-leading Tony nominee but ended up on top, with a revival of “Hello, Dolly!” starring Bette Midler next with four Tonys. “Oslo,” a three-hour meditation on diplomacy, was named best play.

Midler took the best actress trophy and — to the amusement and cheers of the audience — refused to be played off, forcing the swelling orchestra into silence. “This has the ability to lift your spirits in these terrible, terrible times,” she said of her show.

“Dear Evan Hansen” came into the night behind “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” with 12 nominations, but that musical which dramatizes a 70-page slice of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” stalled after winning just two technical awards earlier, for best set and lighting.

Instead, the night belonged to “Dear Evan Hansen,” a show that centers on a profoundly lonely 17-year-old who fabricates a prior friendship with a classmate who has just committed suicide.

Platt thanked his cast mates, crew and family, calling his parents his heroes. He had this inspiring message to young people out there: “The things that make you strange are the things that make you powerful.”

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who recently won Oscars for the song “City of Stars” from the movie “La La Land,” added to a remarkable year by earning Tonys for best score for writing the songs for “Dear Evan Hansen.”

Moments later, the show’s story writer, Steven Levenson, won the Tony for best book, and Alex Lacamoire earned one for best orchestations. Rachel Bay Jones won her first Tony for her work in the musical, capping a long career onstage with plenty of zigs and zags.

Cynthia Nixon won her second Tony, this time for her work in Lillian Hellman’s “The Little Foxes.” Nixon, the “Sex and the City” star, struck a defiant political tone, saluting those who refuse to stand around and watch bad things happen in the world.

Kevin Kline won his third Tony Award playing an egomaniacal matinee idol in the midst of personal turmoil in the play “Present Laughter.” He thanked, among others, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Andy Blankenbuehler won his second choreography Tony in as many years — last year for “Hamilton” and this time for “Bandstand.”

Laurie Metcalf won her first Tony, winning best actress honors in “A Doll’s House, Part 2.” She won three Emmy Awards for her role as Jackie Harris on “Roseanne” and thanked her children. Rebecca Taichman won best directing play honors for “Indecent.”

“Am I dreaming? Is this some kind of crazy dream?” she asked.

Kevin Spacey kicked off his first-ever Tony Award hosting gig with grace and self-deprecating wit, dancing, singing and joking his way through an opening number that linked all four best new musical nominees and doing his best Glenn Close impersonation.

Spacey, who was named Tony host after several other celebrities turned down the job, laughed at himself in the 10-minute opening song, in which he gradually grew comfortable with hosting duties despite what he fears will be nasty tweets crashing down.

The telecast opened on a mournful host dressed like the title character in “Dear Evan Hansen” — complete with arm cast — before he soon showed up in a bed to mock “Groundhog Day The Musical” with an assist with Stephen Colbert, and then donning a fake beard as if he was in “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.” He went on to do impersonations of former President Bill Clinton and Johnny Carson.

The show’s comedy had zings for Democrats and Republicans alike, with Colbert mocking President Donald Trump as if he were a show from Washington with bad hair and makeup that will be “closing early” due to poor reviews. Spacey, as Clinton, joked about his wife’s fake email accounts.

In an attempt to shake up the show, producers asked the Rockettes back on a Tony stage after 13 years and asked all four playwrights nominated for best play Tonys appear to present their works.

The Rockettes had their own number and got to dance with the cast of “Come From Away,” a feel-good Canadian musical set against the horror of 9/11. It earned Christopher Ashley the Tony for best direction of a musical. He dedicated it to 9/11 first responders and all those who were generous on that terrible day.

Spacey even had fun with rumors about his sexual orientation while singing the Andrew Lloyd Webber song “As If We Never Said Goodbye” from “Sunset Boulevard.” Spacey, dressed as Close, sang “I’m coming out…” and then paused, tantalizingly. “Of makeup…”

Then Spacey led a line of high-kicking, tap dancers in a top hat, a white tie, tuxedo and a cane. “I’m Broadway bound,” he sang. “Your next host is found.” After the hectic number, he requested that his cardiologist be nearby.

The year after “Hamilton” took many prizes, Spacey jokingly pointed out that the subjects on Broadway this season included infidelity, suicide, greed, 9/11 and economic upheaval. His Frank Underwood from “House of Cards” made a late appearance, striding onto the stage with his TV wife played by Robin Wright. Later, he and Patti LuPone closed the show with a lovely duet of “The Curtain Falls” by Bobby Darin, a role he played onscreen.

Other winners included August Wilson’s “Jitney,” which drove away with the Tony for best play revival. Gavin Creel won his first Tony for featured actor in a musical in “Hello, Dolly!”

There were no technical or human snafus — other than Midler’s elongated speech — that marred previous awards shows this year, including the wrong winner announced at the Oscars and sound issues at the Grammys. Spacey talked about the show’s accountants and said: “You guys do not have to worry about them tonight, at all,” he said.

As CBS2’s Dave Carlin reported, it was a love fest earlier on the red carpet – celebrating a robust Broadway season with camaraderie and gratitude.

“This one means a lot to me. I’ve always been a Broadway guy. I’ve always appreciated Broadway. I said way back when, as long as I’m at CBS, we’ll air the Tony Awards, and I feel that way. The Tonys, New York, CBS – they all go together,” said CBS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Les Moonves.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The 71st Annual Tony Awards are Sunday night, and one of the season’s biggest Broadway stars is a familiar face to most.

Say hello, Bette! Superstar Bette Midler returns and she’s looking swell, starring in the revival of “Hello, Dolly!” The beloved musical has 10 nominations, and Midler herself is a lead actress nominee.

“From the first time I saw a theatrical production, which was in the Honolulu Community Theater at Fort Rucker, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Midler said on “CBS This Morning.”

Fan favorite David Hyde Pierce is also nominated as lead actor, and there are additional nominations for the production’s creative team.

“This is the most Broadway, Broadway show I have ever been in,” featured actor nominee Gavin Creel said. “The design, Santo Loquasto designed a set and costumes that are unlike anything that I have ever seen on a stage.”

Creel is nominated for his role in “Hello, Dolly!” and describes the feeling when Midler descends that iconic staircase.

“The audience goes nuts, and when she comes down in that iconic red dress people lose their minds,” he said. “It reminds you that design is so important in the telling of the story. I still don’t believe it. I’m like the 20-year-old who is holding his equity card going where am I? Is this my life? Pretty lucky.”

“Our audience has been off the charts enthusiastic,” she said. “So to have these nominations feels like an affirmation of sorts of what the audience is telling us every night.”

“Falsettos” is nominated for five Tonys. The musical is set in the 1980’s during the AIDS crisis, where family dynamics are heavily in play.

“I think even though the show was written some time ago, I think it really resonated with people in a different way,” featured actor Andrew Rannels said. “You know, the second act of the show deals directly with the AIDS crisis.”

“It’s about these flawed people with fractured relationships that they end up filling with gold,” featured actress Stephanie J. Block said.

Featured actor nominee Brandon Uranowitz attributes the show’s success to the chemistry between cast members from the start.

“It was a dream come true,” he said. “I have loved the show since I was a freshman in college and it has always been a dream.”

Two-time Tony winner Christian Borle is nominated as lead actor for his role in the revival.

“It’s incredible. So happy to be reunited with my sweet cast members,” he said.

Four cast members from the musical were nominated, in total.

In her first role on Broadway, Eva Noblezada leads the cast in the revival of “Miss Saigon.” She plays Kim, the young woman seeking a better life at the end of the Vietnam War.

“I think Kim’s a fighter,” she said. “I think she is a total, total fighter and she is strong. She’s… so many things about her that people can relate to.”

Noblezada continues, praising her cast.

“The fact that they can be amazing on and off the stage is encouraging and loving,” she said.

“Miss Saigon” is nominated for two Tony Awards.

The ceremony hosted by Kevin Spacey will air live on CBS2 at 8 p.m. Sunday.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/11/bette-midlers-hello-dolly-leads-a-season-of-successful-revivals-on-broadway/feed/02017 Tony Awards Predictionshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/06/2017-tony-awards-predictions/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/06/2017-tony-awards-predictions/#commentsTue, 06 Jun 2017 15:12:13 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1384825Which shows will take home the Tony? Here is a quick look at some of the most heated races and who is most likely to win big on Tony night.]]>

By Deborah Flomberg

In 2017, the race to the Tony is much less clear-cut than last year. In 2016, it was pretty easy to predict which show would run away with just about every statue as Hamilton received 13 nominations and took home an impressive 11 awards, including Best Musical. This year, the awards may not be as one-sided with several different shows in the running for various big categories. Here is a quick look at the most heated races and which shows just may take home the coveted statue.

Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Musical

The Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical category features some of the biggest names in Broadway history. Two mega-stars are up for the same show – Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole are both in the running for their leading roles in War Paint. However, there is also Bette Midler and her return to the Great White Way for the revival of Hello Dolly. Not to be overlooked are newcomers Denee Benton, who received her first Tony nomination for her role in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and Eva Noblezada for Miss Saigon. Odds are, this one will go to Midler, who has received rave reviews for her take on the legendary Dolly Levi.

Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role In A Musical

When it comes to the leading actor in a musical category, there are several front-runners. Christian Borle is up for his fourth nomination, having received awards in the past for his performances in Peter And The Starcatcher and Something Rotten and he’s up for the revival of Falsettos this year. This category also brings the first nomination for recording mega-star Josh Groban, whose performance in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is also gaining a lot of traction, David Hyde Pierce has also earned a nomination for his role in Hello Dolly. However, the race is really heating up between Andy Karl in Groundhog Day The Musical and Ben Platt’s brilliant take on Dear Evan Hansen. This one is most likely going to the big contender – Platt, who’s been the subject of Tony rumors since the show premiered.

Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Play

Not to be overlooked by the musicals, the play category has some major contenders as well. Consider the Leading Actress in a Play category, which features Cate Blanchett, Sally Field, Laura Linney and Laurie Metcalf – all incredible actresses with impressive resumes. Jennifer Ehle shouldn’t be overlooked here either, as she’s up for her sixth nomination, having already won four awards for her brilliant role in all three parts of The Coast of Utopia and 2000’s The Real Thing. This year, Ehle is up for Oslo – a powerful drama about the back-channel negotiations during the Oslo Peace Accords in the 1990s between Israel and Palestine. It is most likely that this one will go to Sally Field, who scores her first nomination for the revival of The Glass Menagerie and her stunning portrayal of Amanda Wingfield.

Best Musical

When it comes to Best Musical, there are four truly impressive shows in the race. Natasha Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 is a brilliant new musical based on a portion of Tolstoy’s War and Peace whereas fellow nominee Come From Away tells the true story of the events after Sept. 11, 2001, focusing on the 38 planes that were ordered to land in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland. On the lighter side, the musical adaptation Groundhog Day the Musical based on the 1993 film has been receiving surprisingly impressive reviews thanks to the strong music and lyrics of Tim Minchin and a book by the original screenwriter for the film, Danny Rubin. Odds are this one will go to Dear Evan Hansen which tells the story of a high school senior with an anxiety disorder who has to deal with a classmate’s death. Thanks to a stunning score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul – best known for their work on A Christmas Story, The Musical,Dogfight and Edges – this powerful show has already won several awards, including the Helen Hayes Award for Best Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/06/2017-tony-awards-predictions/feed/3First-Time Tony Award Nominee Ben Platt On Portraying Evan Hansenhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/18/first-time-tony-award-nominee-ben-platt-on-portraying-evan-hansen/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/18/first-time-tony-award-nominee-ben-platt-on-portraying-evan-hansen/#respondThu, 18 May 2017 21:22:29 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1382998Ben Platt burst into the mainstream scene back in 2012 with his role as Benji Applebaum in Pitch Perfect. Today, Platt is an award-winning Broadway actor, currently playing the role of Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen which has earned him a Tony Award nomination for best leading actor in a musical. Laura Heywood (aka […]]]>

Ben Platt burst into the mainstream scene back in 2012 with his role as Benji Applebaum in Pitch Perfect. Today, Platt is an award-winning Broadway actor, currently playing the role of Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen which has earned him a Tony Award nomination for best leading actor in a musical. Laura Heywood (aka @BroadwayGirlNYC) spoke with Platt recently about his inspiration for bringing Evan Hansen to life.

“You know I think its a combination of many things. It’s some personal feelings of isolation and difficulty connecting that I think I’ve felt and everyone’s felt growing up and different tidbits of kids that I grew up with that were particularly lonely or had difficulty expressing themselves. Little things like that come together to make this kid,” said Platt.

Platt also gave insight into his biggest challenges with playing the role.

“I think stamina and sustainability has been a big challenge because this role is incredibly demanding physically and vocally and emotionally. Just really figuring out how to make it a sustained performance that can be at the same level every night, eight times a week.”

To find out if Platt goes home a winner, tune into the 71st annual Tony Awards on June 11th at 8:00 PM EST, only on CBS.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/18/first-time-tony-award-nominee-ben-platt-on-portraying-evan-hansen/feed/0David Hyde Pierce Goes Behind The Curtain On His Subtle Tribute To David Burnshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/17/stage-stories-david-hyde-pierce-draft/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/17/stage-stories-david-hyde-pierce-draft/#respondWed, 17 May 2017 14:31:34 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1381969Two-time Tony Award winner David Hyde Pierce has a chance to add a third to his résumé after his recent best lead actor in a musical nomination for the role of Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!. Laura Heywood (aka @BroadwayGirlNYC) had a chat with Mr. Pierce on Tony Award nomination day and the two discussed […]]]>

Two-time Tony Award winner David Hyde Pierce has a chance to add a third to his résumé after his recent best lead actor in a musical nomination for the role of Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!. Laura Heywood (aka @BroadwayGirlNYC) had a chat with Mr. Pierce on Tony Award nomination day and the two discussed his biggest challenge with the role.

“The biggest challenge for me is that I’m not the person you would normally cast to play this part of Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!. So it was fun for me to find my way into the character in a way that could still be me but also serve the play and also work opposite Bette [Midler], which was part of the joy of doing this,” said Pierce.

Pierce also gave insight into his subtle tribute to David Burns, who was the original Horace Vandergelder when Hello, Dolly! first hit Broadway in 1964.

“There is one specific moment that Davie used to have, he had a reaction to discovering someone hiding in a cupboard where he famously had a twitch in his cheek. So I’ve done my own version of that which is an homage to him because I just wanted to do that.”

Tune into the 71st annual Tony Awards on June 11th at 8:00 PM EST, only on CBS.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/17/stage-stories-david-hyde-pierce-draft/feed/0Benj Pasek And Justin Paul Share Their Experience With Bringing Music To Lifehttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/16/benj-pasek-and-justin-paul-share-their-experience-with-bringing-music-to-life/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/16/benj-pasek-and-justin-paul-share-their-experience-with-bringing-music-to-life/#respondTue, 16 May 2017 21:06:11 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1381967Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, or Pasek and Paul for short, are two of the most successful songwriters in America today. Having already won best original song at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for their work on La La Land, the duo is out to add a Tony Award to their trophy case after […]]]>

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, or Pasek and Paul for short, are two of the most successful songwriters in America today. Having already won best original song at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for their work on La La Land, the duo is out to add a Tony Award to their trophy case after becoming best original score co-nominees for their work on Dear Evan Hansen. Laura Heywood (aka @BroadwayGirlNYC) sat down with the prolific pair on Tony Award nomination day.

During their chat, Pasek and Paul expressed how excited they are that musicals are thriving once again in the theater community. “People are making musicals which is such an exciting thing and something to be celebrated,” said Paul.

When asked about how the cast of Dear Evan Hansen brought their music to life, Pasek and Paul gave their insight on the process behind the scenes.

“When you begin to write something you think, how will this be when it’s said out loud or when it’s sung out loud? But you have no real idea,” said Pasek. “It really becomes your litmus test because that person [the actor], especially having been involved from the first workshop, now embodies the character,” said Paul.

Tune into the 71st annual Tony Awards on CBS, June 11th at 8:00 PM EST to see if Pasek and Paul win big!

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/16/benj-pasek-and-justin-paul-share-their-experience-with-bringing-music-to-life/feed/0Corey Hawkins Discusses His Role In ‘Six Degrees Of Separation’http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/15/corey-hawkins-discusses-his-role-in-six-degrees-of-separation/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/15/corey-hawkins-discusses-his-role-in-six-degrees-of-separation/#respondMon, 15 May 2017 17:36:44 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1381326Six Degrees Of Separation came back to Broadway earlier this year and is now up for best revival of a play at the 71st annual Tony Awards. In addition to best revival, Corey Hawkins has also been nominated for best leading actor in a play for his role as Paul. Laura Heywood (aka @BroadwayGirlNYC) caught […]]]>

Six Degrees Of Separation came back to Broadway earlier this year and is now up for best revival of a play at the 71st annual Tony Awards. In addition to best revival, Corey Hawkins has also been nominated for best leading actor in a play for his role as Paul. Laura Heywood (aka @BroadwayGirlNYC) caught up with Hawkins to discuss the role at Tony Award nomination day.

@BroadwayGirlNYC- “I want to talk to you about the character you’re playing and where the inspiration comes from.”

Corey Hawkins- “In high school I remember reading the play and falling in love with John Guare’s words. The music, I call it jazz, it just sort of sings. The enigma, the charisma, the energy and this zeal and zest for life and I think all of those things are still present in this production. Paul is a visionary you know, he’s a different person in every scene and I get the opportunity to go on stage and do that eight times a week. I’m so fortunate for that.”

To find out if Hawkins and the rest of the Six Degrees Of Separation cast will be taking home any hardware, tune into the 71st Annual Tony Awards on June 11th at 8:00 PM EST, only on CBS.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/15/corey-hawkins-discusses-his-role-in-six-degrees-of-separation/feed/0Josh Groban On Being A First-Time Tony Award Nomineehttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/15/josh-groban-on-being-a-first-time-tony-award-nominee/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/15/josh-groban-on-being-a-first-time-tony-award-nominee/#respondMon, 15 May 2017 16:33:46 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1381291Josh Groban is a Tony Award nominee for the first time, and it’s a doozy. Groban portrays the role of Pierre in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 which has been nominated for best musical. Meanwhile, Groban himself has a chance to be named best leading actor in a musical. Laura Heywood (aka […]]]>

Josh Groban is a Tony Award nominee for the first time, and it’s a doozy. Groban portrays the role of Pierre in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 which has been nominated for best musical. Meanwhile, Groban himself has a chance to be named best leading actor in a musical. Laura Heywood (aka @BroadwayGirlNYC) spoke with Groban to discuss how it feels to be “Josh Groban, Tony Nominee.”

“I’m so elated, I’m so elated to be a part of a community that has been so warm to me and welcoming to me. This is just icing on the cake.”

Groban goes on to elaborate on his experience playing the role of Pierre.

“Pierre is a different singer than Josh Groban and he tells stories differently and he sees life differently. I think that’s the wonderful thing about diving into a character is you can allow yourself to explore parts of yourself artistically that you didn’t know were possible because you’re doing it under the guise of a character. I’ve learned a huge amount about my own voice, about what I’m capable of as a singer and as an actor. And I think Pierre will live in me for a real long time, that’s what happens when you dive into a role like this.”

Tune into CBS at 8:00 PM EST on June 11th to see if Groban goes from first time nominee, to first time winner!

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/15/josh-groban-on-being-a-first-time-tony-award-nominee/feed/0James Earl Jones To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award At The 2017 Tony Awardshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/12/james-earl-jones-to-receive-lifetime-achievement-award-at-the-2017-tony-awards/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/12/james-earl-jones-to-receive-lifetime-achievement-award-at-the-2017-tony-awards/#respondFri, 12 May 2017 17:56:40 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1380575The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that two-time Tony Award winner James Earl Jones will be receiving the award for Lifetime Achievement In The Theatre. Jones made his Broadway debut in 1957 with the role of Cinna The Senator in Infidel Caesar. “In 1957 when I came to NY to study acting, my father […]]]>The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that two-time Tony Award winner James Earl Jones will be receiving the award for Lifetime Achievement In The Theatre. Jones made his Broadway debut in 1957 with the role of Cinna The Senator in Infidel Caesar.

“In 1957 when I came to NY to study acting, my father – the actor Robert Earl Jones – took me on a ‘Grand Tour.’ The first night was to the opera Tosca starring Leontyne Price. I loved the singing, but I didn’t understand the format of opera. The second night was Swan Lake starring Margot Fontaine. The movement of the bodies just seemed like magic. The third night was Pal Joey. I was captivated by the warmth of the light on stage. I was not inspired to sing and dance, but I knew I wanted to be in the warmth of the stage light. The fourth night was Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. By contrast, it created a cold world, coldness between human beings, but the ideas that Arthur Miller was able to evoke onstage were blazing hot. I knew I wanted to be a part of this and to explore the stage,” Jones said.

Jones has gone on to play celebrated roles in Broadway classics such as Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy and You Can’t Take It With You. In addition to his career on the stage, Jones’ notable career achievements also include voicing the iconic roles of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King.

“James Earl Jones has given us a lifetime of unforgettable performances on the stage, and his voice resonates through generations. His legacy is unmatched and his work has had an impact not only on Broadway but across the entire galaxy!” Heather Hitchens, President of the American Theatre Wing, and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League, said.

Tune into the Tony Awards on June 11th at 8 PM ET/Delayed PT, only on CBS.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/12/james-earl-jones-to-receive-lifetime-achievement-award-at-the-2017-tony-awards/feed/0Tony Awards 2017: 10 Fast Factshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/10/tony-awards-10-facts/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/10/tony-awards-10-facts/#respondWed, 10 May 2017 19:33:11 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1379783The 2017 Tony Awards will air on June 11th at 8/7c on CBS. To get you in the Tony’s spirit, check out these 10 fast facts. The Tony Awards were named after actress, director, producer and former leader of the American Theatre Wing, Antoinette Perry The first two Tony Awards had no official award, winners […]]]>The 2017 Tony Awards will air on June 11th at 8/7c on CBS. To get you in the Tony’s spirit, check out these 10 fast facts.

The Tony Awards were named after actress, director, producer and former leader of the American Theatre Wing, Antoinette Perry

The first two Tony Awards had no official award, winners were given a scroll and a memento, such as a money clip or purse

Harold Prince has won 21 Tony Awards, more than any other individual in history

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 has the most nominations this year with 12

Angela Lansbury has hosted or co-hosted the Tony Awards telecast a record six times

Hamilton set the record for most Tony Award nominations by a musical production with 16 in 2016

In 2011 The Scottsboro Boys received 12 nominations but won zero awards

The Phantom of the Opera is currently the longest running Broadway play to win Best Musical (1988-present)

James Earl Jones will receive the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award at this year’s ceremony

There have been 10 ties in Tony Awards history

The 2017 Tony Awards take place on June 11th at 8/7c on CBS, check your local listings for more information.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/10/tony-awards-10-facts/feed/0‘Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812’ Leads Tony Award Nominations With 12 Nodshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/02/2017-tony-award-nominations/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/02/2017-tony-award-nominations/#respondTue, 02 May 2017 22:28:43 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1376452"Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,'' a sung-through musical that dramatizes a 70-page melodrama at the center of Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace,'' has earned a leading 12 Tony Award nominations. ]]>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” a sung-through musical that dramatizes a 70-page melodrama at the center of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” earned a leading 12 Tony Award nominations on Tuesday.

The pop opera earned a nomination for the most coveted prize on Broadway — best new musical. The other shows vying for the category are “Come From Away,” ”Dear Evan Hansen” and “Groundhog Day.”

Recording artist Josh Groban also earned a nod for portraying — in a fat suit — an unhappy husband in “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812.” He will compete with Christian Borle of “Falsettos,” Andy Karl of “Groundhog Day The Musical,” David Hyde Pierce of “Hello, Dolly!” and Ben Platt of “Dear Evan Hansen.”

The best play nominees are “Sweat,” ”Oslo,” ”Indecent” and “A Doll’s House, Part 2.” The best play revivals are “August Wilson’s Jitney,” ”Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes,” ”Present Laughter” and “Six Degrees of Separation.”

The Midler-led revival of “Hello, Dolly!” was the second-highest nominated show this season with 10 nods. The quirky coming-of-age musical “Dear Evan Hansen” earned nine.

Midler will compete for lead actress in a musical with Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole, both who star in “War Paint,” Denée Benton, Natasha of “Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” and Eva Noblezada of “Miss Saigon.”

In a quirk, Midler actually earned her first Tony nomination but has already won one of the trophies — the 1974 Special Tony Award for “for adding luster to the Broadway season” during a concert stand the year before at the Palace Theatre.

Some big names in film, television and theater are nominated for leading actress in a play, including Cate Blanchett for “The Present,” Jennifer Ehle for “Oslo,” Sally Field for “The Glass Menagerie,” Laura Linney for “Little Foxes,” and Laurie Metcalf for “A Doll’s House, Part 2.”

Veteran film and TV star Danny Devito is also making his Broadway debut in Arthur Miller’s “The Price.” Devito is nominated in the featured actor category.

This year, there are 24 competitive Tony categories. Winners will be determined by some 850 industry insiders.

There were 37 eligible shows this year with buzz surrounding “Come From Away,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Hello, Dolly.” The question around this time in 2016 was just how many Tony nods the megahit “Hamilton” would earn.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/02/2017-tony-award-nominations/feed/02017 Tony Awards Nomineeshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/02/2017-tony-awards-nominees/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/02/2017-tony-awards-nominees/#respondTue, 02 May 2017 15:26:54 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1376607Full list of nominees for the 2017 Tony Awards, airing June 11th at 8/7c on CBS.]]>The 2017 Tony Awards will air on Sunday, June 11th at 8/7c on CBS. Today the full list of nominees was released for this year’s show. “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812” leads the field with 12 nominations, recently revived “Hello, Dolly!” came in second with 10.

See below for a complete rundown of this year’s nominees and be sure to tune into CBS on June 11th to see who wins!

Best Play:OsloIndecentSweatA Doll’s House, Part 2

Best Musical:Come From AwayGroundhog Day The MusicalNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812Dear Evan Hansen

Best Book Of A Musical:Dave MalloySteven LevensonIrene Sankoff And David HeinDanny Rubin

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/02/2017-tony-awards-nominees/feed/0FULL LIST: Nominations For The 2017 Tony Awardshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/02/2017-tony-awards-nominations-list/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/02/2017-tony-awards-nominations-list/#respondTue, 02 May 2017 13:10:47 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1376496The 71st Annual Tony Awards will be broadcast live on CBS2 at 8 p.m. on June 11.]]>Best Play

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/05/02/2017-tony-awards-nominations-list/feed/0Kevin Spacey To Host 71st Annual Tony Awards On CBShttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/04/18/kevin-spacey-to-host-71st-annual-tony-awards-on-cbs/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/04/18/kevin-spacey-to-host-71st-annual-tony-awards-on-cbs/#respondTue, 18 Apr 2017 18:29:08 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1370641Kevin Spacey has been named as the host of the 71st annual Tony Awards, which air June 11th, only on CBS.]]>Kevin Spacey was announced earlier today by CBS as the host of the 71st annual Tony Awards, which will air on June 11th at 8:00 PM (live ET/delayed PT) from the stage of Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Spacey, a former Tony Award winner himself, was announced to great enthusiasm from many in the theatre community.

“We are thrilled to have Kevin, who has mastered the Broadway stage, the big and small screens and the West End, host this year’s Tony Awards! His spirit and passion for live theatre makes him the perfect host, and we can’t wait to see the energy he brings to Radio City on Tony night!” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, President of the American Theatre Wing.

Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, executive producers of the Tony Awards, are also high on Spacey as this year’s host.

“We’re excited to be working with a witty and charming host who is not only a Tony-winning actor and fan of live theatre, he’s also a president who is a true champion of the arts,” said Weiss and Kirshner.

Check your local listings for more information and be sure to tune in to the 71st annual Tony Awards, June 11th, only on CBS.

Dixon was nominated last season for “Shuffle Along” and has also appeared in “The Color Purple,” “Motown: The Musical” and “The Scottsboro Boys” at the Vineyard Theatre. He starts in “Hamilton” in mid-August.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/19/leslie-odom-jr-hamilton/feed/0Lin-Manuel Miranda To Leave ‘Hamilton’ On July 9http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/16/lin-manuel-miranda-to-leave-hamilton-on-july-9/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/16/lin-manuel-miranda-to-leave-hamilton-on-july-9/#respondThu, 16 Jun 2016 14:44:00 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1238458The news that no die-hard "Hamilton" fan — or anyone who hasn't seen the Broadway smash yet — wants to hear has arrived: Lin-Manuel Miranda, its creator and star, is leaving the show.]]>NEW YORK (AP) — The news that no die-hard “Hamilton” fan — or anyone who hasn’t seen the Broadway smash yet — wants to hear has arrived: Lin-Manuel Miranda, its creator and star, is leaving the show.

Miranda has lined up plenty of work after he leaves. He has a lead role opposite Emily Blunt in a film sequel of “Mary Poppins” and will help turn his musical “In the Heights” into a movie.

“Hamilton” has burst through the Broadway bubble like few shows. It has been praised by politicians and rap stars, influenced the debate over the nation’s currency and become a cultural phenomenon. On Sunday, it won 11 Tony Awards, including best new musical, best book and best score.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/16/lin-manuel-miranda-to-leave-hamilton-on-july-9/feed/0Top Tony Moments: Miranda’s Tearful Sonnet, Corden’s Anticshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/13/top-tony-moments-mirandas-tearful-sonnet-cordens-antics/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/13/top-tony-moments-mirandas-tearful-sonnet-cordens-antics/#respondMon, 13 Jun 2016 18:33:42 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1236692As presenter Barbra Streisand noted, "tonight our joy is tinged with sorrow" — and she wasn't the only one making reference to the horrific Orlando shootings during the Tony Awards ceremony. But the night was also a celebration of the power of theater to bring joy. And there was much joy for the cast and creators of the wildly popular "Hamilton," which won a whopping 11 Tonys.]]>NEW YORK (AP) — As presenter Barbra Streisand noted, “tonight our joy is tinged with sorrow” — and she wasn’t the only one making reference to the horrific Orlando shootings during the Tony Awards ceremony. But the night was also a celebration of the power of theater to bring joy. And there much joy for the cast and creators of the wildly popular “Hamilton,” which won a whopping 11 Tonys.

A look at some of the night’s top moments, both onstage and off:

A SEARING SONNET

“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, the eloquent hero of this Broadway season, is known for giving acceptance speeches in freestyling rap. But on this night, he told the crowd, he opted to write a sonnet instead. His own tears over the Orlando tragedy were infectious, as he spoke of “when senseless acts of tragedy remind us that nothing is promised, not one day.” But, he added: “Hope and love last longer, and love is love is love is love.”

THE LOOK OF DIVERSITY

For all the talk about diversity and inclusiveness this season (absent at the Oscars, present at the Tonys), nothing could beat one powerful image: All four of the musical acting winners were black actors. “Think of tonight as the Oscars, but with diversity,” host James Corden had said at the beginning of the show. “It’s so diverse that Donald Trump has threatened to build a wall around this theater.”

Speaking of Corden, after his own somber opening referring to Orlando — a piece he pre-recorded to be sure to get it right — the late-night TV host delighted the crowd with an ode to what seemed like dozens of past Broadway shows, from “Les Miserables” to “Phantom of the Opera” to “Sweeney Todd” to “Grease.” And there’s no easier way to win over a theater-loving audience than to sing a few bars from “Rose’s Turn” in “Gypsy.”

WHAT YOU DIDN’T SEE

During commercial breaks, Corden worked the crowd a bit, and this included enlisting prominent audience members for impromptu singalongs. He got Jeff Daniels to sing from “The Sound of Music,” and he got Jake Gyllenhaal and Sean Hayes to sing from “Aladdin.” When he saw that Gyllenhaal was chewing gum, he simply took it and put it in his own mouth.

OUTSIDE ANTICS

Speaking of singalongs, Corden adopted the “Hamilton” practice of performing for a streetside crowd, actual putting on brief shows outside the Beacon Theater. This made for some odd combinations, like Miranda and Andrew Lloyd Webber joining Steve Martin and Edie Brickell in singing “Tomorrow” from “Annie” — or the cast of “Fiddler on the Roof” singing “There’s No Business Like Show Business” from “Annie Get Your Gun.”

Speaking of “Fiddler,” Corden had a surprise for presenter Josh Groban: He unearthed, and played, a clip of the singer performing Tevye as a high school student. Groban seemed to have a good sense of humor about it.

Many people thank their parents or their kids in their speeches, but Renee Elise Goldsberry, who plays Angelica Schuyler in “Hamilton,” had an especially poignant moment speaking about her years-long struggle to become a mother. “If you know anything about me you know I’ve spent the last 10 years just trying to have children,” she said. “God gave me Benjamin, he gave me Brielle — and he still gave me this,” she said, gesturing to her Tony.

Renee Elise Goldsberry accepts award for best performance by and actress in a featured role in a musical (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

YOU NEVER KNOW

Ivo Van Hove, who won for best direction of a play (“Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge,”) told the story of how when he first came to New York at age 20, he met a woman on a park bench, and told her he was an aspiring theater director. She asked for his autograph — because, she said, “you never know.” So, the director surmised in his Tony speech: “She’s watching now and thinking, ‘See? I was right.'”

If you were the “Hamilton” cast, wouldn’t YOU be partying? The “Hamilton” bunch had a day off on Monday, and it’s a good thing: their after-party Sunday night was way cooler than the official post-Tony gala. The show took over the Tavern on the Green restaurant in Central Park, and danced to a DJ until the early hours. Rapper Common, who introduced “Hamilton” at the ceremony, was among the guests. Besides eating, drinking and dancing, one could pose against a green screen and be inserted into a famous “Hamilton” photograph.

BARBRA DRESSES JUST RIGHT

Introducing Streisand, Corden warned that medical personnel were standing by, just in case her return was too exciting for some. She was appearing on the Tony stage for the first time since 1970 to present the award for Best Musical — to “Hamilton,” of course. “You’re making me verklempt!” she called out when the crowd gave her an ovation. Dressed in a ruffled, high-collared white blouse and black vest, she quipped when she opened the envelope: “Thank God I picked the right outfit.”

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/13/top-tony-moments-mirandas-tearful-sonnet-cordens-antics/feed/0‘Hamilton’ Wins Big But Fails To Break Record At A Sometimes Somber Tonyshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/12/2016-tony-awards/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/12/2016-tony-awards/#respondMon, 13 Jun 2016 03:00:01 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1236121Hamilton," the hip-hop stage biography of Alexander Hamilton, won the 2016 Tony Award for best new musical, capping an emotional night in which many in the Broadway community rallied to embrace the LGBT community after a shooting at a gay Florida nightclub.]]>

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Hamilton,” the hip-hop stage biography of Alexander Hamilton, won the 2016 Tony Award for best new musical, capping an emotional night in which many in the Broadway community rallied to embrace the LGBT community after a shooting at a gay Florida nightclub.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop-flavored biography about the first U.S. treasury secretary won 11 Tonys, just short of breaking the 12-Tony record held by “The Producers.”

Jeffrey Seller, producer of “Hamilton,” quoted the show’s lyrics when accepting the award. “Look around, look around. How lucky we are to be alive right now,” he said.

“Hamilton” went into the night with 16 nominations and, in addition to taking the musical award, won best score, best book, direction, orchestration, choreography and best featured actor and actress statuettes for Renee Elise Goldsberry and Daveed Diggs.

Leslie Odom Jr., who plays Aaron Burr, won best actor and thanks Miranda for “a new vision of what’s possible.” He thanked his wife, actress Nicolette Robinson and his parents.

The show earlier won awards for costume and lighting but lost scenic design to “She Loves Me,” meaning “Hamilton” couldn’t break the 12-statuette record haul by “The Producers.” Still, few shows get introduced by a sitting president, as Barack and Michelle Obama did for the performance by the show’s cast.

The awards show unspooled with a heavy heart a night after a gunman killed 50 people at a gay Florida nightclub, prompting a Broadway tribute to the victims at the top of the show and a smattering of references to tolerance throughout it.

Host James Corden, his back to the audience, spoke to viewers when he dedicated the night to celebrating the diversity of Broadway. “Hate will never win. Together we have to make sure of that. Tonight’s show stands as a symbol and a celebration of that principle,” he said.

But for much of the telecast, the mood was light and typical of an awards show.

Miranda, the star and creator of “Hamilton,” won for best score and book, and read from onstage a sonnet, referencing tragedy and urging “love and love and love….”

Thomas Kail won the Tony for directing “Hamilton.” He thanked Miranda, a frequent collaborator, and celebrated the diversity of Broadway this season. “Let’s continue to tell stories,” he said.

English actress Cynthia Erivo won the Tony for best actress for her Broadway debut in “The Color Purple.” She thanked her cast for “making me a stronger woman on that stage.” Her show, which failed to beat “Jersey Boys” for the best musical Tony Award in 2006, won the best musical revival award in 2016.

Jayne Houdyshell, a mainstay of the New York stage, won her first Tony Award at 62 for playing a gossipy, gently needling mom in “The Humans.” Her stage husband, Reed Birney, won best featured actor in a play. An actor for almost 42 years, he acknowledged that 35 of them were “pretty bad.” He thanked the theater community for keeping him going.

The play, about a fractious family’s get-together, won the best play statuette and playwright Stephen Karam dedicated his award to all the struggling writers. “Keep the faith,” he said.

In response to the shooting Sunday that left at least 50 people dead in a crowded nightclub in Orlando, Florida, “Hamilton” dropped its use of muskets in its performance. Many stars also wore a silver ribbon to show solidarity.

“My heart is saddened by it,” Seller said on the red carpet before the show. “The celebration tonight is tempered by it.”

The shooting was close to home for Christopher Fitzgerald, who was nominated for his role in “Waitress” and went to school in Orlando. “I’m heartbroken. I think everybody is feeling it, so we are at least all coming together to celebrate and not live in fear,” he said on the carpet.

Jessica Lange won her first Tony for playing a drug-addled mother in the revival of the monumental “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” The two-time Academy Award winner said: “This is a dream come true and it fills me with such happiness, even on such a sad day as this.”

Frank Langella won his fourth Tony for playing a man who has begun his slide down the slippery slope of dementia in “The Father.” He almost teared up when he mentioned his brother’s struggle with dementia.

He also had a message for the people of Orlando, CBS2’s Jill Nicolini reported.

“We had a hideous dose of reality I urge you all Orlando to be strong,” he said. “We will be with you every step of the way.”

Dutch visionary Ivo Van Hove won his first Tony for directing an imaginative revival of Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge.” Under his helm, the barefoot cast warily circled one another under bright lights in a set that resembled a boxing ring. The show was also named best play revival.

The show opened with the cast of “Hamilton” performing their opening number with the lyrics altered to have them all wondering why Corden — “chatting with Hollywood phonies” — had earned the honor of hosting the show.

The “The Late Late Show” host had some quips for the theater-loving audience: “This is like the Super Bowl for people who don’t know what the Super Bowl is,” he said at one point. At another: “Think of tonight as the Oscars, but with diversity,” and made a dig at Donald Trump for wanting to build a wall around the theater. He later flirted with Oprah Winfrey.

Donald Trump was a frequent target. Nathan Lane made a crack about Trump University and Emilio Estefan insisted that his all-Latin cast for “On Your Feet!” were all in the U.S. legally. Corden at one point suggested there were so many diverse performers on the show that the Republican candidate would want to put a wall around the theater. There was also a joke about Trump starring in “The Book of Moron.” To be fair, Glenn Close mocked Hillary Clinton in the fictional show “A Clinton Line.”

“Hamilton” and the 38 new productions this season helped Broadway’s attendance figures hit a record high, up 1.6 percent to 13.3 million ticket buyers. The season also was rich in diversity among actors: Fourteen of the 40 Tony nominees for acting in plays and musicals — or 35 percent — were actors of color.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/12/2016-tony-awards/feed/0‘Hamilton’ Will Remove Rifles From Tony Awards Performance Tonighthttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/12/hamilton-performance-removes-guns/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/12/hamilton-performance-removes-guns/#respondSun, 12 Jun 2016 20:31:08 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1236080The shooting at an Orlando nightclub has prompted the cast of "Hamilton'' to drop their Revolutionary War muskets during their performance Sunday at the Tony Awards.]]>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP)– The shooting at an Orlando nightclub has prompted the cast of “Hamilton” to drop their Revolutionary War muskets during their performance Sunday at the Tony Awards.

A gunman wielding an assault-type rifle and a handgun opened fire inside a crowded Florida gay nightclub early Sunday before dying in a gunfight with SWAT officers, police said. The attack left at least 50 people dead, making it the worst mass shooting in American history.

The musical about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton will instead pantomime the use of the rifles, according to a show’s spokesman.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the star and creator of “Hamilton” tweeted a rainbow-colored heart with “Orlando” written beneath it.

In a statement Sunday, the Tony Awards said “our hearts are heavy for the unimaginable tragedy.” The awards, it said, will be dedicated to the friends and family of those affected by the most deadly mass shooting in U.S. history.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has claimed responsibility for the shooting, CBS News reports. The terror group’s news organization, Aamaq Agency, said the attack was “carried out by an Islamic State fighter.”

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/12/hamilton-performance-removes-guns/feed/010 Fast Facts On The 70th Annual Tony Awardshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/11/tony-awards-fast-facts/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/11/tony-awards-fast-facts/#respondSat, 11 Jun 2016 19:10:13 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1235800It's that time of year again, as Broadway fans across the country gear up for the 70th annual Tony Awards. ]]>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — It’s that time of year again, as Broadway fans across the country gear up for the 70th annual Tony Awards. Here are some fun facts you may not have known about the show, along with some of the productions up for awards this year, provided by the folks behind the big event:

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Here is a 2008 Tony Awards flashback with “Hamilton” creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The writer, rapper, actor and composer made his Broadway debut in “In the Heights,” a musical that brought diversity to Broadway in multiple ways telling stories of life in an Upper Manhattan Latino neighborhood.

“In the Heights” was up for 13 Tony Awards and won four, including one for Miranda for Best Original Score.

Back in 2008, CBS2’s Dana Tyler took a walk with the first-time Tony nominee on the streets that nurtured him and inspired his first Broadway hit.

The special, which will air on CBS2 at 7 p.m. Saturday, is being produced by Broadway.com and will be hosted by site senior editor Imogen Lloyd Weber.

The program will focus on the Tony-nominated productions for Best Musical, Best Play, Best Musical Revival and Best Play revival. It will also feature behind-the-scenes interviews with the creative teams and actors nominated for 2016 Tony Awards.

Viewers will see video coverage of rehearsals and opening nights, as well as sit-down interviews with the stars and creative teams from the musicals “Hamilton,” “Shuffle Along,” “She Loves Me,” “Bright Star,” “The Color Purple,” “School of Rock,” “Waitress,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “Spring Awakening” and the plays “The Humans,” “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” “Eclipsed,” “A View from the Bridge,” “King Charles III,” “Noises Off,” “The Crucible”, “Blackbird,” and “The Father.”

In addition to CBS2, “Broadway.com Presents At The Tonys with Imogen Lloyd Webber” will also air on CBS stations in 15 other markets on Saturday and Sunday.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/10/cbs2-broadway-com-tony-preview/feed/0Who Will Win At The Tony Awards?http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/10/who-will-win-at-the-tony-awards/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/10/who-will-win-at-the-tony-awards/#respondFri, 10 Jun 2016 16:10:19 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1235359It was a season on Broadway that was bursting — looking backward, to the future, shaking up old ideas and introducing some bright new stars. It will be the season of "Hamilton," but there was beautiful work all around.]]>

NEW YORK (AP) — It was a season on Broadway that was bursting — looking backward, to the future, shaking up old ideas and introducing some bright new stars. It will be the season of “Hamilton,” but there was beautiful work all around. The Associated Press tries to predict some of this year’s Tony Award winners.

Stephen Karam’s Pulitzer Prize finalist is a wrenching look at our anxiety-riddled American lives, but Danai Gurira’s play about sexual captives in Liberia transcends culture, race, gender and geopolitics to deliver a soul-stirring show. Also kudos to “King Charles III,” a modern political thriller.

___

REVIVAL-PLAY

Will win: “A View from the Bridge.” Should win: “A View from the Bridge.”

Director Ivo van Hove this fall stripped Arthur Miller’s dark, classic tale and made it vibrant. The barefoot cast members warily circled each other in a revival that shocked and moved. It raised the bar for what a reinvention can be. “Blackbird” is close behind, a wrenching confrontation between tortured souls.

___

REVIVAL-MUSICAL

Will win: “The Color Purple.” Should win: “Fiddler on the Roof.”

John Doyle triumphantly directs the musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel with huge voices — Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Hudson — and minimal sets. It’s an amazing tale of redemption. Not too far away, Bartlett Sher and his team have made in “Fiddler” one of the last great musicals of Broadway’s Golden Age urgent and inclusive.

Langella will likely win his fourth Tony Award for playing a man who has begun a slide down the slippery slope of dementia in “The Father.” Another actor — Mark Strong in a smashing revival of “A View from the Bridge” — also unraveled onstage and his collapse was arguably more poignant and sad.

Lange plays a drug-addled mother in the revival of the monumental “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” with tons of delicacy and neediness. But Oscar-winner Nyong’o made her Broadway debut in a cheap cloth skirt and filthy “Rugrats” T-shirt. She then proceeds to mature in front of our eyes as the spine of “Eclipsed.”

Burstein’s Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof” is earthy and soulful and the actor has been a Broadway favorite. His sixth Tony nomination should result in his first win. But who can wipe away the memory of Odom in “Hamilton”? His portrait of Aaron Burr in “Hamilton” — coiled, lurking, repressed— is transformative. His way with “The Room Where It Happens” is brilliant.

A strong year for women on Broadway has resulted in a category stocked with outstanding performances. Jessie Mueller is honest and grounded in “Waitress,” Laura Benanti is luminous in “She Loves Me,” Carmen Cusack works so hard in “Bright Star” and Phillipa Soo is marvelous in “Hamilton,” but Erivo puts her heart, soul and every fiber into “The Color Purple.”

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/10/who-will-win-at-the-tony-awards/feed/0Tonys This Year To Highlight 9 New And Revival Musicalshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/08/tonys-this-year-to-highlight-9-new-and-revival-musicals/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/08/tonys-this-year-to-highlight-9-new-and-revival-musicals/#respondWed, 08 Jun 2016 15:44:57 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1234321The Tony Award telecast will offer performances from all 9 new and revival musicals that were nominated, including one that has already closed.]]>

NEW YORK (AP/CBS) — The Tony Award telecast will offer performances from all 9 new and revival musicals that were nominated, including one that has already closed.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/08/tonys-this-year-to-highlight-9-new-and-revival-musicals/feed/0James Corden Joins Lin-Manuel Miranda, Broadway Stars On ‘Carpool Karaoke’http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/07/carpool-karaoke-broadway/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/07/carpool-karaoke-broadway/#respondTue, 07 Jun 2016 13:07:25 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1233596"Late Late Show" host James Corden headed to Broadway on Monday, for a special edition of 'Carpool Karaoke' just in time for the Tony Awards.]]>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — “Late Late Show” host James Corden headed to Broadway on Monday, for a special edition of “Carpool Karaoke” just in time for the Tony Awards.

Corden, who will be hosting this year’s show on June 12, was joined by “Hamilton” star Lin-Manuel Miranda and Broadway stars Jane Krakowski, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Audra McDonald.

Click on the video above to see the full segment.

“Hamilton” grabbed a record-breaking 16 Tony Award nominations this year, making it one of the biggest hauls in Broadway history and a big nod to the show’s colossal fame.

This newest installment is one of many in the wildly successful series. Big-name stars like Gwen Stefani, Adele, Jason Derulo, Iggy Azeala, Justin Bieber and even R&B legend Stevie Wonder have all stopped by for a musical car ride.

You can catch “Carpool Karaoke” on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” weeknights on CBS.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/07/carpool-karaoke-broadway/feed/0James Earl Jones, Neil Patrick Harris To Appear At Tonyshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/06/james-earl-jones-neil-patrick-harris-to-appear-at-tonys/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/06/james-earl-jones-neil-patrick-harris-to-appear-at-tonys/#respondMon, 06 Jun 2016 17:30:58 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1233268Tony Award host James Corden will be getting some starry help when he hands out the trophies next weekend — fellow Tony-winners Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones and Neil Patrick Harris have also signed up.]]>NEW YORK (AP) — Tony Award host James Corden will be getting some starry help when he hands out the trophies next weekend — fellow Tony-winners Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones and Neil Patrick Harris have also signed up.

“Hamilton” star Lin-Manuel Miranda is the man of the hour, whether you’re a Broadway fan or not. People who never go near musical theater have been scrambling to get tickets for his show, which has a mind-blowing 16 Tony Award nominations.

“Since the moment we opened, the excitement has been so crazy,” he tells Laura Heywood (aka BroadwayGirlNYC). “The thing you can’t buy is: people leaving [the theater] and saying, ‘You have to see this!'”

And it’s that excitement — created via word-of-mouth — that has made his hip-hop musical Broadway’s hottest ticket.

For Miranda, his love of musical theater started in sixth grade, when he participated in a production that featured scenes from a number of classic musicals. Among the roles that he landed: Conrad Birdie in “Bye Bye Birdie,” Captain Hook in “Peter Pan”and Bernardo in “West Side Story.” “That’s a lethal dosage of musical theater at age 12!”

During the “Bye Bye Birdie” segment, he recalls, “All the girls had to faint when I sang,” which made sense, as he was playing a fictional rock and roll star.

Understandably, Miranda’s reaction to this was: “I’m doing this for the rest of my life!”

And now, with the success of “Hamilton,” he probably can do that, should he choose to.

See how many awards “Hamilton” wins at the Tony Awards, when they air on June 12 on CBS at 8 pm ET.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/06/hamilton-star-lin-manuel-miranda-on-his-lethal-dose-of-musical-theater/feed/0Jane Krakowski Of “She Loves Me” On The Rose That Changed Her Lifehttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/06/jane-krakowski-of-she-loves-me-on-the-rose-that-changed-her-life/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/06/jane-krakowski-of-she-loves-me-on-the-rose-that-changed-her-life/#respondMon, 06 Jun 2016 16:50:46 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1232349"I was that young, hopeful person in the audience, being amazed by what people could do on the stage."]]>

By Brian Ives

“The only reason I’m doing this… my entire influence was my parents.”

Jane Krakowski, of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,“ “30 Rock” and “Ally McBeal” fame is in her dressing room, talking to Laura Heywood (aka BroadwayGirlNYC), about the origin of her acting career.

“We came to see every Broadway show,” she recalls. Her parents, she says, weren’t just fans: they also participated in community theater. “It’s where I saw my parents having fun. And because they exposed me to it at such a young age,” she became fascinated with acting and plays. “I was that young, hopeful person in the audience, being amazed by what people could do on the stage.”

“I have such a clear memory of being eight years old and watching Chita Rivera in “Chicago.” At the end of the show, they throw roses out [into the audience]. I was this eight year old little hopeful girl, and Chita Rivera looked right at me and she threw me a rose. Fast forward about twenty-five years or so, and I’m meeting Chita Rivera on the first day of rehearsals for a show called “Nine,” and I’m in it with her! That was a really big day for me.”

“Nine” would lead to another big day for her: she’d go on to win a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in that show. This year, she’s up for another Tony in the same category: this time for her role in “She Loves Me.”

To find out if she wins, watch the Tony Awards on CBS on June 12 at 8 pm ET.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/06/jane-krakowski-of-she-loves-me-on-the-rose-that-changed-her-life/feed/0Gabriel Byrne On The “Nosebleed” Seats That Changed His Lifehttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/06/gabriel-byrne-on-the-nosebleed-seats-that-changed-his-life/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/06/gabriel-byrne-on-the-nosebleed-seats-that-changed-his-life/#respondMon, 06 Jun 2016 16:48:07 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1232347Watching the curtain rise while attending his first Broadway show is something Gabriel Byrne will never forget.]]>

By Brian Ives

“I remember climbing up the wooden stairs,” Gabriel Byrne says, when recalling his first play during a conversation with Laura Heywood (aka BroadwayGirlNYC). “To what they called ‘the nosebleed section.'”

“I remember seeing the curtain go up and when all these brightly colored, costumed people came on stage, saying to my mother, ‘What’s that?’ And she said, ‘That’s a play.'”

And at the curtain call, “I saw the looks on their faces. It was something that I never forgot.”

It clearly made an impact on Byrne, now a star of stage and screen. He is currently nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for “A Long Day’s Journey Into Night.”

Clearly, the man still believes in the power of art. “When I became a teacher, I realized that by taking a kid aside and saying, ‘Hey, have a read of that book,’ or ‘Go see that film,’ [you could make an impact]. I still really believe in that. I believe you can make a difference in a person’s life by saying ‘Have you read that book?’ Or ‘You should go see that movie.’ Or ‘Go see that play.'”

To see if Byrne turns his passion for art into a Tony win, watch the Tony Awards on CBS June 12 at 8 pm ET.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/06/gabriel-byrne-on-the-nosebleed-seats-that-changed-his-life/feed/0‘Color Purple’ Star Cynthia Erivo On Being “Forced” To Go To RADAhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/03/color-purple-star-cynthia-erivo-on-being-forced-to-go-to-rider-university/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/03/color-purple-star-cynthia-erivo-on-being-forced-to-go-to-rider-university/#respondFri, 03 Jun 2016 19:51:30 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1232344Many aspiring actors and actresses dream of going to Rider University for the Performing Arts. That wasn't quite the case with Cynthia Erivo.]]>

By Brian Ives

Many aspiring actors and actresses dream of going to RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. That wasn’t quite the case with Cynthia Erivo.

She tells Laura Heywood (aka BroadwayGirlNYC) that she needed to be forced to apply to the school, sort of.

When she was 20 years old waiting on line for tickets for a show, and she bumped into a woman she’d met years earlier while taking a theater course. “[She] asked me if I was going to train to get to drama school.”

“I said ‘No.’ She forced me to fill in those forms, I got into RADA, and the rest is history.”

Today, Ms. Erivo has a TONY nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her role in The Color Purple.

To see if she wins, watch the TONY Awards on CBS on June 12 at 8 pm ET.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/03/color-purple-star-cynthia-erivo-on-being-forced-to-go-to-rider-university/feed/0‘Fiddler’ Star Danny Burstein On The Teacher Who Changed His Lifehttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/03/fiddler-star-danny-burstein-on-the-teacher-who-changed-his-life/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/03/fiddler-star-danny-burstein-on-the-teacher-who-changed-his-life/#respondFri, 03 Jun 2016 19:42:01 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1232342Never doubt the power of encouraging young people to hone their talents, it may lead all the way to a Tony nomination.]]>

By Brian Ives

“What’s a monologue?”

That’s not a question you’d expect to hear from a Tony nominated actor. But it’s what a young Danny Burstein asked, when a junior high school teacher encouraged him to try out for the High School for the Performing Arts.

“No one had ever taken an interest in my ‘talents,'” he told Laura Heywood (aka @BroadwayGirlNYC). “And he did.”

Burstein’s response to his teacher’s encouragement? “I said, ‘What’s the High School for the Performing Arts?’ I knew nothing about anything!” When he was told his audition for the school would have to include a monologue, he admitted to not knowing what that meant.

Today, he knows a lot more, particularly about the world of Broadway. He’s currently nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical at the Tony Awards for his role as the iconic character Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” who, as it happens, does a lot of monologues in the show.

“His belief in me made all the difference,” he says with amazement today.

The lesson: never doubt the power of encouraging young people to hone their talents.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/03/fiddler-star-danny-burstein-on-the-teacher-who-changed-his-life/feed/0‘Hamilton’ Star Lin-Manuel Miranda To Join James Corden On ‘Carpool Karaoke’http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/03/carpool-karaoke-lin-manuel-miranda/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/03/carpool-karaoke-lin-manuel-miranda/#respondFri, 03 Jun 2016 15:00:21 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1232122On Monday, the "Late Late Show" host will be joined by "Hamilton" star Lin-Manuel Miranda for the newest installment of the hit sing-along segment.]]>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” is going to Broadway.

On Monday, the “Late Late Show” host will be joined by “Hamilton” star Lin-Manuel Miranda for the newest installment of the hit sing-along segment — just in time for the 70th annual Tony Awards, which Corden is slated to host on June 12.

Corden and Miranda will also be joined by fellow Broadway stars Jane Krakowski, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Audra McDonald.

Hamilton” grabbed a record-breaking 16 Tony Award nominations this year, making it one of the the biggest hauld in Broadway history and a big nod to show’s colossal fame.

This newest installment is one of many in the wildly successful series. Big-name stars like Gwen Stefan, Adele, Jason Derulo, Iggy Azeala, Justin Bieber and even R&B legend Stevie Wonder have all stopped by for a musical car ride.

You can catch “Carpool Karaoke” on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” weeknights on CBS.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/03/carpool-karaoke-lin-manuel-miranda/feed/0Why Lupita Nyong’o Should Win The Tonyhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/02/why-lupita-nyongo-should-win-the-tony/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/02/why-lupita-nyongo-should-win-the-tony/#respondThu, 02 Jun 2016 12:00:00 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1230909Lupita Nyong'o has already proven her immense talent in 2013's film "12 Years a Slave." Now she is taking to the stage in the Tony nominated "Eclipsed."]]>It is always a rare treat when an actor or actress is nominated for a Tony Award when making their Broadway debut. There are typically a few first-time nominees each year, but rarely is that person also appearing on Broadway for the first time. Mexican-Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o is one of those rare talents that deserves more than a nomination for her first time on the Great White Way, but she deserves to take home the statue as well.

Audiences were first introduced to the talent of Lupita Nyong’o quite recently. She made her acting debut in 2008 with a short film called “East River” and then wrote, produced and directed her own documentary “In My Genes.” The film discusses the life of a pale person living in a dominantly black society portrayed through the story of Agnes, an albino woman living in Kenya, as well as seven other people who are discriminated against due to their genetics.

After the documentary Nyong’o went back to school, where she earned a master’s degree in acting from the prestigious Yale School of Drama. Following her time at Yale she received her big break, in a supporting role in Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave.” Nyong’o won the Academy Award for her breakout performance as Patsey and became the first Kenyan and Mexican actress to win an Academy Award.

If Nyong’o has taught us anything, it is that she knows how to make a big first impression. Her Broadway debut comes as an unnamed girl in Danai Gurira’s “Eclipsed,” which tells the story of five Liberian women and their individual tales of survival during the Second Liberian Civil War. The play is notable for many reasons, including Nyong’o’s powerful performance but also for being the first play with an all black and all female cast and creative team to premiere on Broadway.

Critics have raved about “Eclipsed” and all the talents who appear on stage during the important production. TimeOutNY raved, “Nyong’o is as radiant as one would expect from this rising star” and Charles Isherwood of the “New York Times” offered, “Ms. Nyong’o delivers this harrowing monologue with a disoriented sense of helplessness and shame that cuts to the bone.” Clearly, Nyong’o is one actress to be watching.

The Tony Awards air Sunday, June 12th at 8/7c (live/delayed PT) on CBS.

Deborah Flomberg is a theater professional, freelance writer and Denver native. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/02/why-lupita-nyongo-should-win-the-tony/feed/0Barbra Streisand To Present At 2016 Tony Awardshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/01/barbra-streisand-to-present-at-2016-tony-awards/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/01/barbra-streisand-to-present-at-2016-tony-awards/#respondWed, 01 Jun 2016 18:02:42 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1230870Barbra Streisand will take the stage at this month's Tony Awards for the first time in 46 years.]]>NEW YORK (AP) — Barbra Streisand will take the stage at this month’s Tony Awards for the first time in 46 years.

The singer and actress, who was a Tony nominee in 1962 for “I Can Get It for You Wholesale” and in 1964 for “Funny Girl,” hasn’t graced Tony night since 1970, when she got a special Tony.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/06/01/barbra-streisand-to-present-at-2016-tony-awards/feed/0Why Frank Langella Should Win The Tonyhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/31/why-frank-langella-should-win-the-tony/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/31/why-frank-langella-should-win-the-tony/#respondTue, 31 May 2016 12:00:00 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1229216Frank Langella is the kind of talent that transcends time. Here's a look at why he deserves to take home the Tony for his work this year.]]>Frank Langella has been hailed by the “New York Times” as “one of the most magnetic theater actors of his generation,” and so goes his Tony-nominated powerhouse performance in this year’s “The Father,” which is also up for Best Play. This is not the first time Langella has played this Tony-nominated role, he also performed in the 1996 revival, for which he took home the 1996 Drama Desk Award.

This is certainly not the first Tony nomination for Langella, who already has won three of the coveted statues for his work in “Frost/Nixon,” “Fortune’s Fool” and Edward Albee’s “Seascape.” Langella’s impressive talent was first seen on Broadway in 1963, when he made his debut in Federico García Lorca’s “Yerma.” Since that first performance in 1963, Langella has had many memorable and award-worthy performances both on stage and in film.

This year, Langella is up for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, along with Gabriel Byrne for “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” Jeff Daniels for “Blackbird,” Tom Pigott-Smith for “King Charles III” and Mark Strong for “A View from the Bridge.”

Film audiences may recognize him for his many powerful on-screen performances as well. Langella played the role of Richard Nixon in the 2009 film adaptation of “Frost/Nixon,” which earned him his first Academy Award nomination. His many film credits include; “The Twelve Chairs,” “Diary of a Mad Housewife,” 1977’s “Dracula” and, more recently, “Superman Returns.” Langella is among the oldest Academy Award nominees, as he was 71 years old when he earned his “Frost/Nixon” nomination.

Today, at the age of 78, he continues to prove that his talent remains just as strong as ever. Audiences at “The Father” have raved about his powerful performance, which many feel should have won him the award when he first took the part in the 1996 revival. Langella remains, to this day, one of the most powerful, distinguished talents to ever appear on a New York stage, and it doesn’t matter what age he is, or how long he’s been away from the stage, he continues to shine.

Frank Langella may already have three Tony Awards at home, but he continues to prove that his talent rises above. His astounding performance in “The Father” is just another example of talent that never fades, and only gets stronger over time.

The Tony Awards air Sunday, June 12th at 8/7c (live/delayed PT) on CBS.

Deborah Flomberg is a theater professional, freelance writer and Denver native. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/31/why-frank-langella-should-win-the-tony/feed/0Tony Presenters Will Include Oprah Winfrey, Cate Blanchetthttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/26/tony-presenters-will-include-oprah-winfrey-cate-blanchett/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/26/tony-presenters-will-include-oprah-winfrey-cate-blanchett/#respondThu, 26 May 2016 16:32:31 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1228734James Corden will have some big names helping him hand out Tony Awards: Oprah Winfrey, Cate Blanchett, Carole King, Audra McDonald, Saoirse Ronan, Patina Miller and Nathan Lane have signed up to help present.]]>NEW YORK (AP) — James Corden will have some big names helping him hand out Tony Awards: Oprah Winfrey, Cate Blanchett, Carole King, Audra McDonald, Saoirse Ronan, Patina Miller and Nathan Lane have signed up to help present.

Corden, a Tony-winner and the host of CBS’s “The Late Late Show” will make his debut as the emcee June 12 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. It will be televised on CBS.

Comedy god Steve Martin and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Edie Brickell will also help present. The pair is up for a Tony as the writers of the musical “Bright Star,” a complex love story set against the American South.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/26/tony-presenters-will-include-oprah-winfrey-cate-blanchett/feed/0Meet David Korins, The Man Behind The Look Of ‘Hamilton’http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/25/meet-david-korins-the-man-behind-the-look-of-hamilton/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/25/meet-david-korins-the-man-behind-the-look-of-hamilton/#respondWed, 25 May 2016 17:59:50 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1228230Korins' work in opera, film, concerts, theater and TV ranges from sleek, hyper-minimalist to homey and crafty. People tend to call him when the job is going to be hard, as in lots of locations and items that will defy physics.]]>

NEW YORK (AP) — When you see the Broadway smash “Hamilton” — if you’re lucky enough to see it, that is — you should know that something important quietly happens at intermission.

The walls get bigger: Stagehands add 8 feet to the brick walls at the back of the stage. It’s a subtle change, reflecting the musical’s transition from showing the nation’s birth in Act 1 to building a nation in Act 2.

It’s a touch supplied by David Korins, who earned his first Tony Award nomination for his deceptively simple-looking set. The scenic designer, who has created worlds for “Grease Live!” and Kanye West, isn’t bothered if the audience doesn’t pick up on the change.

“No one sees it. They’re busy reading their programs and buying merchandise or whatever they are doing. But when they come back in, subtlety, the massing of the walls and the set is different,” he said.

“I think if one person understands, either consciously or subconsciously, those walls have grown, that’s a profound difference — to know that we’ve taken the time and the energy to create that for them.”

Korins’ work in opera, film, concerts, theater and TV ranges from sleek, hyper-minimalist to homey and crafty. People tend to call him when the job is going to be hard, as in lots of locations and items that will defy physics.

That’s why he was the perfect guy for the job when the musical about Alexander Hamilton came calling. Here was a sweeping, epic story that took place over 30 years and multiple places.

“When I read the piece and I listened to the music for the very first time, I felt a swirling, circular motion to the thing,” he said. “I didn’t really know what that meant. I just sort of filed it away in my mental Rolodex.”

Korins started by investigating every real location and detail from actual history, from the spot where Hamilton died to the size of George Washington’s desk.

He then devised a theatrical metaphor for the show: scaffolding, to both reflect the process of nation-building and to allow the actors to witness history being made from two levels.

Perhaps Korins’ masterstroke was the advocacy of two massive turntables, which lent fluidity and energy to a story that involves a swirling hurricane and the circular relationship between Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

“His design is one of these unconscious and yet deeply felt parts of our show,” said director Thomas Kail, who had previously worked with Korins on the sports-themed plays “Magic/Bird” and “Lombardi.”

“With a turntable, we could have stillness and movement relative to each other,” said Kail. “It allowed us to express the inevitability of time. That we could be standing still and yet we move.”

Korins is quick to note that not all his ideas were home runs. At the end of a very early version, cast members pulled out sections of the stage to reveal a reflective pool where Hamilton and his wife were reunited after his death. In the end, it was too distracting.

“I’m looking to do what is best for the narrative,” he said. “To me, there were a lot of way cooler things I could have done for ‘Hamilton.’ I felt I did exactly what I had to to make the story as best told as it could be. And that’s my goal always.”

The Tony nomination caps a busy few years for Korins, who runs a 15-member design firm in midtown. He has done the designs on Broadway for “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” ”Misery” with Bruce Willis and “Motown the Musical,” which is returning to the Great White Way.

He studied theater design at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and cut his teeth building some 100 sets at the Williamstown Theatre Festival before coming to New York and funding a theater company with every cent he could spare.

He’s built sets for tours by Kanye West, Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli — who all wanted a “slightly more heightened theatrical experience” — and immersive shows like David Byrne’s “Here Lies Love” about Imelda Marcos.

“I remember people early on saying, ‘It’s so different designing movies from TV or theater from rock concerts.’ I don’t see that at all. I see things much more holistically. The design of a piece of theater and a restaurant, in my mind, are the exact same.”

His subtle touch means that when he designs for the opera, the stairs are a little smaller so a diva can move gracefully down them. But when he designed the set for “The Pee-wee Herman Show,” he made the steps taller so Pee-wee would look like a little kid clumping up the stairs.

If he has a mantra, it’s probably whatever works best. “I like to think that my hallmark is literally that I don’t have a hallmark,” he said. “You don’t look at the thing and say, ‘Oh, that’s a David Korins’ set.'”

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/25/meet-david-korins-the-man-behind-the-look-of-hamilton/feed/0‘Waitress’ Musical Offers Pies And Tickets In Touring ‘Treat Truck’http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/24/waitress-musical-treat-truck-pies/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/24/waitress-musical-treat-truck-pies/#respondTue, 24 May 2016 12:30:52 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1227355One Tony Award-nominated musical is giving their fans a sweet way to pick up tickets -- and a special treat.]]>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — One Tony Award-nominated musical is giving their fans a sweet way to pick up tickets — and a special treat.

Broadway.com partnered with the musical Waitress to tour Manhattan with their “Treat Truck” throughout the month of May, offering fans a chance to pick up tickets on-the-go and to learn more about what the hit Broadway show has in store. Fans who purchase tickets at the truck will also pick up a complimentary pie — a nod to the show’s plot.

The new musical tells the story of a waitress and pie maker trapped in a small-town diner and a loveless marriage. It’s adapted from a 2007 film starring Keri Russell and stars Jessie Mueller, who won the best leading actress Tony Award for playing Carole King in the musical Beautiful.

“The story is a journey of her coming to terms with where she’s come in her life and really digging deep to find out how she can overcome some of the things that she’s been faced with and how she can move forward and get to a better place,” Mueller told CBSNewYork.com in an earlier interview.

If you don’t have a chance to catch a pie from the “Treat Truck,” you can try making the delicious ‘Waitress’ mixed berry pie at home by following the recipes below:

BUTTER CRUST RECIPE

Makes two 9-inch piecrusts

Ingredients:

2½ cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) very cold butter, cubed or cut into small pieces

6 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

Optional: egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water or milk)

Instructions:

In a large bowl or mixer, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the butter pieces and cut them into the flour mixture, working until you have big crumbs. Add ice cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix in until the dough holds together.

Divide the dough into 2 mounds. Wrap each mound in plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes to overnight. Let the dough stand for at least 15 minutes before rolling it out.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface or between 2 pieces of parchment or wax paper, then place the rolled-out dough in the pie pan and press into place.

For pies with tops, brush a little water on the edges of the bottom crust before adding the top crust and crimp the edges of the top and bottom crusts together with your fingers to seal them all around the pie. Also, gently lift the edges from the pan a bit (it helps make it easier to cut and serve slices of the baked pie later on.) Make little slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush the top crust with an egg wash, place on the decorative bits, and sprinkle with sanding sugar (or regular sugar) on top.

If you’re using frozen berries, allow time for the berries to thaw and drain.

Roll out the pie dough and place the bottom crust in the pie pan. In a large bowl, mix the berries, sugar, and lemon juice, if desired. Sprinkle in the flour and mix, adding a bit more if you need to depending on the amount of berries, how juicy they are, and your personal preference. Pour the berries into the piecrust and dot the filling with butter.

Add the top crust and make slits for the steam to escape.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/24/waitress-musical-treat-truck-pies/feed/0A Closer Look At Tony Awards Host James Cordenhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/13/a-closer-look-at-tony-awards-host-james-corden/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/13/a-closer-look-at-tony-awards-host-james-corden/#respondFri, 13 May 2016 12:00:00 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1222106The 70th Annual Tony Awards will be hosted by James Corden. Not familiar with this funny man? Here's a look at just why you should know this impressive talent.]]>The 70th Annual Tony Award nominations have been announced, and the ceremony will air on CBS on June 12. It’s always an entertaining show to watch, even if you haven’t been to New York to see many of the Broadway shows in the past year. Most of that fun is thanks in part to the evenings host, a job that has been the responsibility of talents like Neil Patrick Harris, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Hugh Jackman, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Hayes and many more fantastic celebrities. This year, that job lands on the shoulders of James Corden, who is no stranger to the Great White Way.

Corden is currently best known as the host of The Late Late Show with James Corden, succeeding Craig Ferguson when he stepped down in 2014. However, his resume in entertainment goes back much further. Corden first rose to prominence in the early 2000s, when he starred on a popular British series called “Fat Friends,” for which he won multiple awards overseas. He then stepped onto the stage on the West End and premiered the role of Timms in the first London production of “The History Boys,” which also brought Corden to the United States for his Broadway debut.

As Corden’s popularity rose, he went on to work on “Gavin & Stacey,” a series he created, co-wrote and starred in. The series was very popular and well received by the British television critics, and Corden won the Best Male Comedy Performer award, as well as Best New British Television Comedy at the 2007 British Comedy Awards. The series also was honored with several other awards, including Most Popular Comedy at the national Television Awards.

While Corden’s work in London was always well-received, he also jumped in and out of many different projects over the next few years, including a short appearance on an episode of “Doctor Who” as well as in his own comedy/sports panel show called “A League of Their Own.” It was in 2011, Corden won the lead role in the hit new comedy called “One Man, Two Guvnors,” which received massively popular reviews and went on to win universal acclaim.

Opening night of “One Man, Two Guvnors” on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre on April 18, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

“One Man, Two Guvnors” debuted on Broadway in 2012, receiving seven Tony nominations, including the Best Actor nomination for Corden. Corden took home the statue that year, which is particularly impressive since he was up against such talents as John Lithgow, Frank Langella, Philip Seymour Hoffman and James Earl Jones. Just two years after winning this prestigious award, it was announced that Corden would be the next to host “The Late Late Show,” which was about to begin its fourth iteration, surprising many who weren’t familiar with the funny, warm and charismatic comedian.

People quickly fell in love with Corden on the show, thanks to his great rapport with his guests as well as his popular segments like Carpool Karaoke, in which he and a popular music guest simply film themselves singing their songs in the car. Guests have included such mega talents as Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Adele and many more.

Now, all eyes will be on Corden once again as he steps into some very big shoes. The Tony Awards ceremony is all about celebration of live performance, so he should be an excellent choice to host the 70th annual ceremony. Corden already proved he can carry a show with his stunning achievements on “One Man, Two Guvnors,” but it’s his genuine warmth on camera that will continue to propel this star as millions of homes tune in to catch him in action hosting the awards show on June 12.

Deborah Flomberg is a theater professional, freelance writer and Denver native. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/13/a-closer-look-at-tony-awards-host-james-corden/feed/0Lin-Manuel Miranda On ‘Hamilton,’ Success, Weird Requestshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/09/lin-manuel-miranda-on-hamilton-success-weird-requests/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/09/lin-manuel-miranda-on-hamilton-success-weird-requests/#respondMon, 09 May 2016 15:26:51 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1220882The last year has proven to be an incredible journey for "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, culminating with a record-breaking 16 Tony nominations.]]>NEW YORK (AP) — The last year has proven to be an incredible journey for “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, culminating with a record-breaking 16 Tony nominations. It has also produced a best-selling cast album, and there’s a huge tour planned for 2017. The Tony-Award winner for “In the Heights” sat down with The Associated Press to talk about his “wild ride” and a weird request.

“Hamilton” remains the toughest ticket to get for a Broadway show, and Miranda says people have come out of the woodwork with requests.

“The woodwork department has been working overtime,” he says.

So what about the strangest thing anyone has asked him to do?

“I’ve had fans say, ‘Can you write down this music phrase? I want it tattooed in your handwriting,’ which is a lot. I have terrible handwriting. You do not want this thing you think you want.”

BROADWAY MOVE

According to Miranda, it was important to keep the show off-Broadway long enough to intimately understand the production and fine-tune it.

“There was a lot of talk last year on ‘Go, transfer right away.’ But we knew that with another at-bat we could get more into it. I knew that with six months of doing the show off-Broadway that I would know a lot more of what worked and what didn’t. I had that experience with ‘In the Heights.’ We were off-Broadway,” Miranda said.

He also shared some advice.

“I recommend to every writer ever starring in your own show feeling the audiences reaction on a molecular level every night because I knew exactly what needed to be changed and exactly what needed to be clarified going into Broadway.”

WATCHING NOMINATIONS

Miranda turned the morning Tony announcements into a party, because his young son, Sebastian, is an early riser.

“We have a little kid, so we’re up early. A lot of my cast slept through it, but we were up early.”

Miranda invited his parents over, as well as his “In the Heights” collaborator Quiara Alegria Hudes for the festivities.

“We brewed a big pot of coffee, and we just sort of kept ticking off the nomination. My dad was making a list, and I was just sort of screaming every time I heard a name.”

Four of the shows 16 Tony nominations went to Miranda.

“It was really crazy. It sort of piled up slowly.”

INSPIRED BY ‘RENT’

Miranda likes the idea that “Hamilton” harkens back to the days when Broadway and popular music were united.

“Broadway music used to just be pop music,” Miranda said. “Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin — it was just music.”

“I remembered being really inspired when ‘Rent’ came out. I was a teenager and Jonathan Larson said pop music and theater music should be friends again. I have always agreed with that philosophy. I think great musical storytelling is great musical storytelling, regardless of genre and I think the fact that we’ve thrown so many genres in the pot, sort of allows for that to creep off of the arts page.”

NO RESTING

With buzz surrounding a show that Broadway has not seen in decades, Miranda insists that the accolades have not affected him, and for good reason.

“We can’t rest on our laurels. We have a show that’s 2 hours and 40 minutes with two spinning turntables inside the set. If you for a second stop to think, ‘Hey man, 16 nominations,’ you’re going to get hit in the head with a chair or you’re going to get kicked by a dancer.”

“I’m incredibly honored to be recognized for my work in ‘Blackbird,’ and especially thrilled to share this morning with Jeff and our entire production. David’s play is an adventure every time we step onto that stage, and this moment feels equally exciting. I look forward to celebrating with everyone at the Belasco tonight.” — actress Michelle Williams, nominated alongside Jeff Daniels in David Harrower’s “Blackbird.”

___

“So honored and humbled right now. Thank you to the Tony voters and to the theater community for showing so much love and support. Thank you and congratulations to my #HamFam. This is a trip. Glad I’m on it with you all. — actor Daveed Diggs, nominated for “Hamilton.”

___

“I am very excited to be nominated for this Tony Award. It is always such a privilege and an honor to work with the amazing, brilliant and talented people on Broadway, and I I’m very proud of the work we all did together on ‘Hughie.’ The Booth is a beautiful, intimate and soulful theater, and was the perfect space for us to build this mournful and elegiac world for Erie Smith in which he shares his loss and his pain, but ultimately rediscovers his humanity.” — set designer Christopher Oram, nominated for “Hughie.”

___

“I am very honored, although I can only accept so much credit. I am playing one of the most exquisitely written roles in the history of American drama.” — actor Michael Shannon, nominated for “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.”

__

“I am delighted that two Almeida Theatre productions have received multiple Tony nominations today. It’s particularly exciting that ‘King Charles III’ and ‘American Psycho’ have been recognized in such an outstanding Broadway season.” — Rupert Goold, Almeida artistic director and the director of “American Psycho.”

___

“I feel humbled and amazed and grateful. Trust me, when I was on that little tiny plane going between Ghana and Liberia by myself, scared out of my mind, I kept asking myself what the heck am I doing. I never imagined this moment. So it’s been quite a journey.” — “Eclipsed” playwright Danai Gurira, whose play takes place in a Liberian rebel camp where women are held as sexual captives.

___

“This is a great honor and I am absolutely delighted. I’m a comparative newcomer to this arena and so a Tony nomination is more than I ever dreamed of. I could not be more grateful.” — Julian Fellowes, nominated for writing the book for the musical “School of Rock.”

___

“We were so relieved, because we didn’t want to let down our cast and our creative team, wo have worked so hard and put so much heart and skill into it. It feels like a huge relief because we want to see everybody celebrated, because we celebrate them.” — Edie Brickell, nominated for co-writing “Bright Star.”

___

“I’m happy to take another step with these people that I love so much. I’m just looking forward to hugging these people and holding their hands, and just sort of walking through this next step. I just love and adore these people so much. And I don’t want to sound sad or anything, but it feels like it’s sort of the last champagne bottle to pop is this big night.” — actor Leslie Odom Jr., nominated for “Hamilton,” on what Tony night will be like.

___

“I am deeply proud to be nominated for my work in the Danai Gurira’s Tony-nominated ‘Eclipsed.’ My performance could not exist without the brilliance of my iron clad co-stars Pascale Armand, Akosua Busia, Zainab Jah, and Saycon Sengbloh, with the direction of Liesl Tommy. Our hope is to awaken something in the consciousness of our audience to effect change around the world. The six Tony nominations Eclipsed has received today gives me hope that we are succeeding.” — actress Lupita Nyong’o, nominated for “Eclipsed.”

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/05/broadway-stars-react-to-tony-nominations/feed/0‘Hamilton’ Sets New Record With 16 Tony Award Nominationshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/03/tony-award-nominations-2016/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/03/tony-award-nominations-2016/#respondWed, 04 May 2016 00:08:06 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1218002"Hamilton'' was nominated in virtually every category it could compete in, from acting to scenic design.]]>

Updated May 4, 2016: 3:45 p.m.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — The megahit musical “Hamilton” has grabbed a record-breaking 16 Tony Award nominations, the biggest haul in Broadway history and another notch in the show’s march into theatrical history.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop-flavored biography about the first U.S. treasury secretary on Tuesday broke the 15-nominations record held by “The Producers” and “Billy Elliot.”

Next month, it will compete for Broadway’s biggest crown of best new musical with “Bright Star,” “School of Rock,” “Shuffle Along” and “Waitress.”

“Shuffle Along” scored a total of 10 nominations, even though it was the last musical to open this season. “Bright Star” earned five nominations while “Waitress” and “School of Rock” earned four nominations each.

The other top nominations went to the revival of “She Loves Me,” which earned eight.

There were a few surprises, including only one small nod each for “Tuck Everlasting,” a well-reviewed musical based on the 1975 young adult book by Natalie Babbitt, and “On Your Feet!,” the musical that follows the lives of Gloria and Emilio Estefan.

There is also talk about who was snubbed from the coveted awards, including Audra McDonald for her role in “Shuffle Along,” despite having six Tony’s under her belt, and Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson for her role in “The Color Purple,” CBS2’s Jill Nicolini reported.

“”Hamilton” is bringing so many new people to the theater, and on Show-Score we’re finding that once they have posted their review of Hamilton, or simply read about the show, they want to learn more about what else they should see. The Tony nominations have done something similar – “Hamilton” is grabbing the headlines, but it’s making more people than ever interested in discovering what else is on Broadway. This year’s Tony nominations are fantastic for theater as a whole – a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow the fan base,” said Melcher.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/03/tony-award-nominations-2016/feed/0At Tony Award Nominations Tuesday, All Eyes On ‘Hamilton’http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/02/at-tony-award-nominations-tuesday-all-eyes-on-hamilton/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/02/at-tony-award-nominations-tuesday-all-eyes-on-hamilton/#respondMon, 02 May 2016 15:46:13 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1217551One thing practically assured on Tuesday is that the Broadway megahit "Hamilton" will get plenty of Tony Award nominations. The real question is how many.]]>

NEW YORK (AP) — One thing practically assured on Tuesday is that the Broadway megahit “Hamilton” will get plenty of Tony Award nominations. The real question is how many.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop-flavored biography about the first U.S. treasury secretary has already won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, a Grammy, the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History and a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant.

Adored by critics and the public alike, “Hamilton” has raised the bar so high that earning a clutch of Tony nominations seems so likely fans will be seeing if it does more and makes Tony history.

“The Producers” and “Billy Elliot” share the record for the most Tony nominations, with 15 each. (“The Book of Mormon” got 14 nods in 2011.) “Hamilton” could very well shatter the record in the 13 categories that a new musical is eligible.

Nominations for best musical, best original score and best book are a foregone conclusion for “Hamilton,” while Thomas Kail’s direction of the show and Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography are also pretty likely.

Miranda, who plays Hamilton, and Leslie Odom Jr., who plays Aaron Burr, are both eligible for best actor in a musical. Phillipa Soo, who plays Eliza Hamilton, has been deemed eligible for best actress. The show is also a contender for the four design awards — costumes, sets, lighting and orchestrations.

What could put “Hamilton” over the top is its deep bench of candidates for featured actor and actress awards, including Renee Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler, Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson/Marquis de Lafayette, Christopher Jackson as George Washington and Jonathan Groff as King George III.

“Hamilton” has burst through the Broadway bubble like few shows. Bloomingdale’s now sells “Hamilton” merchandise, U.S. presidential candidates have tweeted about it, it has entered the debate over the nation’s currency and the show has been referenced on “Saturday Night Live” and “Inside Amy Schumer.”

“Things like ‘Hamilton’ start to give youth a better understanding of just how powerful not just theater but performance art can be and you can do it in different ways and people will love it in different ways,” said Zachary Levi, former star of NBC’s “Chuck” who is starring in the revival of “She Loves Me.”

Thanks to shows like “Hamilton,” Broadway has concluded one of its most diverse seasons, with non-white actors filling shows like “The Color Purple” revival, “On Your Feet!” ”Hughie,” ”Allegiance,” the reworked “Shuffle Along” and “Eclipsed.”

“There’s a hunger that I don’t know that Broadway producers realized existed,” said Liesl Tommy, who directed “Eclipsed,” a play set in a Liberian rebel camp where four women are held as sexual captives. “The question of access is so important.”

Women, so often underrepresented in creative roles on Broadway, also had reason to cheer. “Waitress” was the first Broadway musical in history to have four women in the top creative team spots, and “Eclipsed” was the first show in Broadway history with an entirely female cast and creative team.

But most of the headlines coming from Broadway this year were for “Hamilton.” That sometimes overshadowed some superb performances elsewhere.

Some non-“Hamilton” candidates in the best actor in a musical category are possible for Benjamin Walker from “American Psycho,” Danny Burstein of “Fiddler on the Roof,” Alex Brightman of “School of Rock” and Austin P. McKenzie for “Spring Awakening.”

The best actor in a play category might include Ben Whishaw in “The Crucible,” Tim Pigott-Smith in “King Charles III,” Mark Strong in “A View From the Bridge,” Jeff Daniels of “Blackbird,” Clive Owen in “Old Times,” and James Earl Jones of “The Gin Game.” Al Pacino could get a nod, though the David Mamet play he was in, “China Doll,” was roasted by critics.

Best leading women in a musical could include Cynthia Erivo of “The Color Purple,” Jessie Mueller of “Waitress,” Laura Benanti in “She Loves Me,” Ana Villafane of “On Your Feet!” Audra McDonald of “Shuffle Along,” Lea Salonga in “Allegiance” and Carmen Cusack of “Bright Star.” (Jennifer Hudson is eligible only for best featured actress for “The Color Purple.”)

Best actresses in a play might include Lupita Nyong’o of “Eclipsed,” Laurie Metcalf in “Misery,” Cicely Tyson in “The Gin Game,” Jessica Lange of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” and Michelle Williams of “Blackbird.”

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)/p>

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/02/at-tony-award-nominations-tuesday-all-eyes-on-hamilton/feed/0James Corden To Host 2016 Tony Awardshttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/02/02/james-corden-to-host-2016-tony-awards/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/02/02/james-corden-to-host-2016-tony-awards/#respondTue, 02 Feb 2016 16:54:00 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1174124The Tony winner and host of "The Late Late Show" is set to host "The 70th Annual Tony Awards"]]>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – CBS announced today that Tony Award winner James Corden, host of “The Late Late Show,” will host “The 70th Annual Tony Awards,” live from the Beacon Theatre in New York City, Sunday, June 12 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on CBS.

This will be Corden’s first time hosting the Tonys. He won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for his performance in “One Man, Two Guvnors” in 2012.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be hosting the Tony Awards,” said James Corden. “Both times I’ve worked on Broadway have been amongst the happiest times of my professional life. I consider it a huge honor to be asked to host such an incredible night. It’s gonna be fun, I can’t wait to dust off my tap shoes!”

“We are thrilled to have James Corden not only as a member of the CBS family, but as host of this year’s Tony Awards,” said Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music and Live Events, CBS Entertainment. “James is the ultimate performer – actor, singer and comedian – and the perfect choice to host this prestigious and always entertaining live television event.”

The nominations for the 2016 Tony Awards will be announced live from The Paramount Hotel on May 3.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/02/02/james-corden-to-host-2016-tony-awards/feed/02016 Tony Awards To Be Held At The Beacon Theatrehttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/11/24/tony-awards-beacon-theatre/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/11/24/tony-awards-beacon-theatre/#respondTue, 24 Nov 2015 17:49:52 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1145019The next Tony Awards have found a home -- a familiar one but one far from Broadway.]]>NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — The 2016 Tony Awards have found a home — a familiar one but one far from Broadway.

The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing said Tuesday that the June 12 gala will be held at the 2,900-seat Beacon Theatre on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where the Tonys were handed out 2011-12.

The announcement also pushed back the day of the ceremony, which had originally been June 5.

The 6,000-seat Radio City Music Hall has long been the preferred home for the awards because of its size and proximity to Broadway. But Radio City will be booked this summer with the new “Rockettes New York Spectacular.”

CBS will again televise the event. No host has been announced.

The official eligibility cut-off date will be April 28, meaning all productions on Broadway that wish to be included must have opened by that date. Nominations will be announced May 3.

The Beacon is much smaller than Radio City, meaning ticket-rationing and a likely struggle to seat the often large number of show producers.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/11/24/tony-awards-beacon-theatre/feed/02016 Tony Awards Get New Venue, Air Datehttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/11/24/2016-tony-awards-get-new-venue-air-date/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/11/24/2016-tony-awards-get-new-venue-air-date/#respondTue, 24 Nov 2015 17:03:34 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1144995"The 70th Annual Tony Awards" will air live from the Beacon Theatre In New York City, Sunday, June 12, 2016.]]>NEW YORK (CBS/AP) – The next Tony Awards have found a home – a familiar one but one far from Broadway.

The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing said Tuesday that the June 12 gala will be held at the 2,900-seat Beacon Theatre on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where the Tonys were handed out 2011-12. The announcement also pushed back the day of the ceremony, which had originally been June 5.

The 6,000-seat Radio City Music Hall has long been the preferred home for the awards because of its size and proximity to Broadway. But Radio City will be booked this summer with the new “Rockettes New York Spectacular.”

CBS will again televise the event. No host has been announced.

Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the Tony Awards, which were first held on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria’s Grand Ballroom. The ceremony is presented by Tony Award Productions, which is a joint venture of the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, which founded the Tonys.

The official eligibility cut-off date will be April 28, meaning all productions on Broadway that wish to be included must have opened by that date. Nominations will be announced May 3 live from the Paramount Hotel.

The Beacon is much smaller than Radio City, meaning ticket-rationing and a likely struggle to seat the often large number of show producers. MSG Entertainment, which owns Radio City, also owns the Beacon.

“The 70th Annual Tony Awards” will air live June 12 at 8 PM ET/delayed PT on CBS.

]]>http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/11/24/2016-tony-awards-get-new-venue-air-date/feed/0Tony Awards Show Sets Dates, But Still No Homehttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/09/28/tony-awards-show-sets-dates-but-still-no-home/
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/09/28/tony-awards-show-sets-dates-but-still-no-home/#respondMon, 28 Sep 2015 18:52:48 +0000Tony Awards – CBS New Yorkhttp://newyork.cbslocal.com/?p=1119969The Tony Awards will be held June 5 next year, but where the ceremony will be held is still up in the air.]]>

NEW YORK (AP) — The Tony Awards will be held June 5 next year, but where the ceremony will be held is still up in the air.

The 6,000-seat Radio City Music Hall has long been the preferred home for the awards because of its size and proximity to Broadway. But MSG Entertainment said it will be using Radio City for its “New York Spring Spectacular” from June 15 through Aug. 7. That would put the awards show during crucial rehearsal time for the Rockettes’ show.

The Broadway League said Monday it is in negotiation for a space.

From 2011-12, the Tonys were handed out at the Beacon Theatre on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Other possible venues include the Best Buy Theater and the Theater at Madison Square Garden.